Moonlight shimmered across the clouds, casting a silver glow over the world below. The atmosphere was clear, revealing stars in perfect clarity. Streetlights flickered along the roads, adding a warm contrast to the cool night. Towering buildings stood like silent guardians beneath the heavens.
In one of those high-rise apartments, a boy slept restlessly. From outside, it looked like he was trapped in a nightmare—his breathing uneven, head tossing from side to side.
"Huh... huh... huh..."
Suddenly, his eyes snapped open. He sat up, chest heaving. Realizing it had only been a dream, he gradually steadied his breath.
"Huh.. huh...huh.."
He rose from bed and stepped onto the balcony. Under the crystal-clear sky, the stars gleamed brighter than usual. The moon hung low, unnaturally large. He stared at it for a moment, then murmured:
"Not again…"
Closing his eyes, he took a long breath and exhaled.
---
The year was 2557.
The sun rose over a world reshaped by catastrophe. Due to centuries of global warming, many coastal nations had vanished beneath rising seas. Glaciers had all but melted. Magma surges rocked the Earth. The seven continents had fused into two colossal landmasses: Elarion and Zepharnis.
Humanity, however, had not only survived—it had evolved.
Phones had become obsolete. Everyone now had a personal AI, seamlessly integrated into daily life. Once-incurable diseases like cancer had been eradicated. Mars boasted nearly two billion residents. Earth remained home to nine billion.
In the capital city of Zepharnis—Orvanis, a metropolis the size of present-day China—an apartment tower stretched proudly into the sky. Inside, a boy of eighteen stood at a stovetop, wearing an apron as he prepared poached eggs.
Lucien had long black hair that reached his shoulders, tied back with a band; piercing crimson eyes; a defined jawline; and a height of about 180 cm. His movements in the kitchen were swift and practiced.
He set the table for two and called out:
"Lilith! Get up! You're gonna be late for college again!"
Moments later, a girl emerged from one of the rooms. Lilith, three years younger than Lucien, had soft brown hair, matching brown eyes, and porcelain skin. She rubbed her eyes and yawned.
"Brother, why are you yelling? I was literally about to wake up."
"If you don't want to be late, wash up and eat."
Lucien and Lilith were siblings. Although they weren't related by blood, She was his adoptive parents daughter and his little sister he loved very much.He remembered nothing of his biological parents—not their faces, not their voices. According to his adoptive parents, an accident had taken them when Lucien was just four. He had no memory of it—just his name.
Over the years, Lucien had taken on the responsibility for himself. After all he was grown up now. They lived separated from their parents and Lilith often liked to spend her time here. No, actually She spent most of her time here. The distance was not very far. Their parents lived in the next apartment. So they can just come whenever they wanted
At fifteen, he started streaming gaming videos. In the beginning, he struggled for views. But persistence paid off. Now he was one of the top streamers in Zepharnis—able to support both himself with enough extra to support their parents as well
"Tomorrow's your graduation ceremony, right?" Lucien asked.
"Yup! And you're coming with me."
"Of course. We also need to get Adrian a birthday gift."
Adrian was Lucien's best friend
Lilith sipped her juice. "You cook too well for someone who spends half his life screaming at screens."
Lucien rolled his eyes. "It's professional yelling, thank you very much."
"Right, right. Mr. 'Top 100 Streamers in Zepharnis.' I'm sure your fans would pay extra for an apron stream."
"If I ever stream in this apron, remind me to delete the entire internet."
"Too late. I took a photo."
"You didn't—! Lilith!"
"Relax. I won't post it... unless you forget my bubble tea today."
"Blackmail? Impressive. You're definitely growing up."
She smiled gently. "of course I'm all grown up now."
Lucien softened. "Yeah...I'm glad we still have this."
---
That night — Lucien's bedroom
The hum of the city buzzed faintly outside. Inside, all was still.
Lucien slept.
And the nightmare returned.
It always began the same way.
A woman wept. Her face was obscured—blurred like fogged glass—but even through the haze, there was no mistaking it: she was breathtakingly beautiful. Her embrace was fierce, protective. Her voice, though cracked with emotion, had a melodic warmth.
"My baby... I can't let him go there alone. He don't understand anything... he's too young..."
Lucien felt small in her arms. Helpless. Safe.
Then, a man appeared—also faceless, shrouded in shadow. Reaching out, he embraced the woman and Lucien, clinging to a bond already breaking.
"I know," the man whispered. "But staying here would be more dangerous. He'll be safer there... even it pains."
The woman's sobs deepened, quiet and devastating. Lucien didn't understand, but her pain felt like his own. He longed to comfort her, to stop whatever was coming.
The man turned to Lucien and gently placed a hand over his heart.
"Don't resent us too much. We're doing this to protect you Take care of yourself —always."
Then everything shattered.
The warmth vanished. Voices fell silent.
Only pain remained—sharp, splitting, overwhelming.
---
Lucien shot awake.
His breath came in gasps, his body slick with cold sweat.
The same dream. Again.
It had haunted him for nearly a month. The same blurred faces. The same aching emotions. It didn't feel like a nightmare—it felt like a memory.
He had seen psychologists. They'd called it stress. Anxiety.
But his life was calm. Secure.
So why did this feel real?
He got up, made a cup of coffee, and stepped onto the balcony. The moon was high again, glowing silver over the sleeping city.
He took a slow sip.
Tomorrow was Lilith's big day.
She'd be fifteen. Practically an adult.
Lucien smiled faintly.
She deserved the best day.
---
Verdant Vale Academy
Crowds bustled at the gates—students in graduation robes, families taking photos, laughter echoing.
Lucien kept close to Lilith.
"Lilith! Over here!"
A girl waved from the entrance. Lilith lit up. "That's Vivan! Come on, I want you to meet her."
She dragged Lucien forward. Vivan stood beside a striking woman who looked too young to be her mother.
"Brother, this is Vivan—my best friend. And her aunt, Ms. Elowen."
Ms. Elowen extended her hand. "Pleasure. Lilith talks about you nonstop."
Her grip was firm. Her gaze lingered a bit too long.
Lucien nodded politely and withdrew his hand. He noticed faint scars near her temple. To him, she seemed cool and gave off a gentle vibe.
---
The ceremony was long and ceremonial—speeches about dreams, futures, and hope.
Lucien barely heard them.
Then they called her name.
Lilith walked across the stage, proud and graceful. Lucien stood and clapped till his palms hurt.
She turned, eyes searching.
Found him.
He waved.
She smiled.
For a moment, the crowd vanished—it was just the two of them.
---
That evening, Lucien fixed his collar in the mirror. Fresh black shirt, sleeves rolled. Hair tied with band.
"You trying to look cool?" Lilith teased from outside.
"Shut it."
She peeked in. "Wow. Clean-up mode activated. Too bad you're still the world's most reluctant party guest."
He tossed a pillow at her. She ducked, laughing.
---
Music pulsed through Adrien's apartment. Lucien knocked.
Adrien answered with a grin and soda. "You made it!"
"Wouldn't miss your big twentieth," Lucien said, handing him a gift.
Adrien opened it—and froze.
"Dude... how did you even get this...?"
"Stole it."
Adrien pulled him into a hug, laughing.
Then Lucien saw her.
Ms. Elowen.
In the kitchen. Like she belonged there.
"What's she doing here?" he asked quietly.
Adrien glanced over. "Oh— You know her? Dad brought her. Said she's his junior or something—"
A thunderclap shook the sky.
Lights flickered.
Lucien turned toward the window.
The sky... had turned green. A swirling, eerie green.
Ms. Elowen rose, calm and composed, sipping her drink.
"Right on time," she murmured, her eyes glowing faintly.
The storm outside had grown violent. Wind howled through the cracks in Adrien's apartment as the guests gathered near the windows, murmuring anxiously. Above the city, the sky had twisted into eerie shades of green and purple.
Lucien stepped back, heart pounding. A strange pressure built in his chest, like his very soul was being pulled in every direction at once.
Elowen moved without hesitation. Her eyes glowed with something beyond human understanding. She walked past the stunned guests and stopped in front of Lucien.
"It's time," she said softly.
"What?" Lucien backed away. "What do you mean?"
"You'll find out soon," she replied, her voice calm and certain. "I know it feels strange—like something's pulling at you from the inside right?"
Lucien was surprised and also scared at the same time. It's normal to feel scared of someone who can appear in front of you in the blink of an eye. And surprised because she knew how he was feeling.
She turned to the window, pointing at the sky. "Look at the sky… this is what you've done."
She paused for a moment, then added, "It's time for you to go back ."
Adrien rushed forward. "What the hell?! Elowen, what did you just say?!"
"Ms. Elowen, stop!" Lilith's voice broke as she cried out "What are you saying?!"
Lucien looked at them, panic rising in his chest like wildfire. "What are you talking about?! I'm—"
Before he could finish, Elowen raised her hand.
The air behind him shattered like glass. A swirling crimson rift opened in midair, humming with deep, ancient energy.
"Take care, although there is a possibility we will meet soon but I wish you good luck" Elowen said, her eyes locking with his.
Before Lucien could respond, the rift pulled him in. The force was instant, unstoppable.
The last thing he saw was Lilith's terrified face, reaching out to him—screaming, though her voice never reached his ears.
Then he was gone.
After he went to the rift,the sky was beginning to stabilize and return to its normal state.
Elowen stood still on the rooftop, her coat fluttering in the strange wind. Her eyes were fixed on the sky, where a faint ripple shimmered—barely visible to most, but clear as day to her. A
She had felt it earlier. A sudden pulse, sharp and powerful, when Lucien turned eighteen.
She had spent nearly two thousand
years watching over Earth's anchors. Souls from other realms slipped through from time to time—echoes, fragments, accidents. But Lucien was nothing like them. Not even close.
Something ancient lived inside him. The energy that flowed from his body wasn't magic. It wasn't spiritual. It was something far older. Primal and Boundless.
Elowen exhaled slowly, her face calm.
She spoke a few words under her breath—words that sounded like they came from an old story, like spells whispered in ancient languages.
Moments later, the world around the apartment returned to normal. The wind stopped. The sky stilled. No one remembered what had happened—not Adrien, not the other guests.
No one even remembered that someone named Lucien had ever existed.
No one… except Lilith.
Before anyone noticed, Elowen grabbed her and vanished from the apartment.
Lilith's screams echoed in the silence.
Tears streamed down her face as she shouted, "What have you done to my brother?!"
Elowen's voice was quiet. Steady.
"You'll find out soon."
-----
Everything went dark.
There was no light.
Lucien couldn't understand what had just happened.
Before he could even think, a wave of pain crashed through his body.
He wanted to scream—but he couldn't.
It felt like someone was tearing his skin off while he was still alive.
But his mouth had been sealed shut so he couldn't even cry out.
His mind went blank.
In that moment, he forgot everything— what had happened before.
All that remained was the pain.
He just wanted it to stop.
It was too much.
But what could he do?
Even if he wanted to stop it, he didn't know how.
The torment dragged on until his mind couldn't take it anymore.
Then—nothing.
He blacked out
----
Lucien's eyes slowly began to open. His head throbbed, and he lifted his hands, trying to shake off the dizziness. The headache was still there, dull but heavy.
As his vision cleared, he blinked—and froze.
A soft, glowing light filled his eyes. Something radiant surrounded him.
He sat up quickly, heart pounding. Shining blue crystals lit up the space around him, casting eerie reflections on the stone walls.
But that didn't matter right now.
Where… where am I? he thought, eyes wide with confusion.
"A cave...?"
Then it hit him.
The rift. Ms. Elowen had made it—pulled him through. He remembered now..a flash of light, a sudden force dragging him in. Lilith's terrified expression. The pain he felt. Everything.
Why did she do that?
And how?
He checked his body . Same shirt, same watch . Everything was perfect. There were no trace of wounds in his body.
Nothing about it made sense. It defied every bit of logic he knew.
Lucien looked around, alone, completely lost in this strange place.
He slapped himself hard across the cheek.
The pain was real.
His breath caught.
No… this isn't a nightmare.
This is real.